Stocking with girdle-attaching means



Aug. 26, 1969 H. w. HEGGIE STOCKING WITH GIRDLE-ATTACHINC MEANS FiledSept. 8. 1967 FIG. 1

INVENTOR HENRY W HEGGIE ATTORNEYS United States Patent Olfice 3,463,162Patented Aug. 26, 1969 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A panty hosetype garment and the hose used therewith, the hose being detachablyconnected to the panty by flat connecting means within the panty legswhich releasably engage a perforate longitudinally elastic upper portionof the hose.

At the present time, miniskirts are in common use and stockings asconventionally knit have proven unsatisfactory in that the double weltshows and furthermore, with conventional garter arrangements anunsightly bulge is formed. However, it has been a major problem toeliminate this condition, since it is essential that some stretchableelement be interposed between the girdle or other stocking supportingmeans and the stocking, and furthermore, since the conventional garterbutton arrangement requires the use of a double welt in order to assurethat the stocking will not be damaged and caused to run.

By use of the present invention, substantially no welt is necessary,since there is no garter button engaging the stocking, and additionally,no shadow welt need be employed and the stocking can thus be madesubstantially uniform throughout its length so that all exposed portionsthereof will be sheer and conform to current fashion.

It will be clear from the above description that the main feature of theinvention is a stocking having a minimum of shadow welt, and welt, andwhich is provided with means for attaching the stocking to the pantygirdle in such manner as to provide proper stretch and at the same timemaintain the stocking within or closely adjacent to the legs of thepanty girdle to assure that only the sheer portion of the stocking willbe visible beneath a skirt, even a miniskirt. Other features of theinvention will appear when the following description is considered inconnection with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a panty girdle together with theupper portions of two stockings which are to be attached thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the plane of theline 2-2 of FIGURE 1, showing the mode of attaching a hook within thegirdle leg;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 2, butshowing the stocking top engaged by a girdle hook; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view of the elastic meshfabric which is secured to the stocking top.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the stocking 10 isknitted in the conventional manner, save that it has substantially noshadow welt and a minimal welt, but has sewn thereto, as indicated at11, a piece of elastic fabric 12 which as indicated in FIGURE 4, is ofmesh construction having diamond-shaped openings 13 regularly recurringthroughout the fabric, save at its marginal edges, indicated at 14 (FIG.1).

The girdle 15 is the usual panty girdle having leg portions 16. At thelower edges of the leg portions 16 an elastic fabric 17 is sewn into thelegs to render them tight-fitting. Reinforcing tabs 18 are secured tothe elastic 17 at spaced points about each leg and flat hooks 19 aresecured between the elastic 17 and tabs 18, the hooks being of such asize as to readily engage in the openings 13 in the elastic fabric ortape 12.

In some instances it may be preferable to utilize tabs secured at thetop to the girdle legs with a hook secured to the outer side of each taband facing outwardly. This arrangement serves to prevent the hooks fromcontacting the wearer and thus eliminates possible annoyance andphysical discomfort.

As will be apparent, particularly when FIGURE 3 is considered, thestockings are held in a position with a minimum amount of the elasticfabric beneath the lower edge of the girdle, so that a minimal skirtwill cover the upper edge of the stocking. Thus the stocking top and theelastic fabric support is not exposed to view, and at the same time theelastic fabric permits the stockings to move with respect to the girdleso that the movements of the wearer are accommodated without undulystretching the stocking fabric, the stretch being of course provided bythe elastic fabric. Furthermore, the arrangement of the hooks within thegirdle and the use of small flat hooks, which is rendered possible bythe mesh fabric, provides secure anchorage for the stocking on thegirdle and eliminates unsightly protrusions in the outer garmentsresulting from the thickness of the fastening means which engage thestocking. In other words, the fastening means of this invention does notrequire a double welt to assure sufficient thickness to be gripped bythe usual button and clip. Nor does the fastening means of thisinvention require a garter button of suflicient thickness to cooperatewith a clip and thus of such thickness as to form unsightly protrusions.At the same time, by use of this invention the stocking can be soadjusted and fixed to the girdle that substantially no portion of thefastening means is visible, even when the wearer is in a sittingposition, and instead, the stocking top and the lower edge of thecorresponding leg of the panty girdle are in substantial alignment.Additionally, the elastic fabric distributes the strain from the pointsof attachment substantially evenly to the stocking so that no areas areunduly strained, as contrasted with the usual garter arrangement inwhich the strain is greatest at the points of garter attachment.

It will be clear from the above description that many advantages resultfrom the construction described. Among these are prolongation of thelife of the panty type garment when compared to the common panty hoseconstruction wherein the hose and panty are integral and damage to astocking results in discarding the entire combination garment; use ofvaried stockings with a single panty garment; use of the panty garmentswithout stockings, and of course the flat, smooth attachment arrangementdescribed, resulting in greater comfort and greatly reduced likelihoodthat the attachment means will produce unsightly protrusions of theouter garments.

Although the description herein refers to a panty girdle, it will beunderstood that any bifurcated garment such as panties or briefs mayalso be utilized. Also, although the elastic band is described as beingmesh fabric secured to the stocking, the mesh fabric may be integralwith the stocking. Further, the fabric may present no defined openings,but be sufiiciently loosely knit or woven as to make it readilypenetrated by the fastening means, which fastening means althoughspecifically mentioned as a fiat hook, may comprise other means offastening through the fabric, which retain the fiat characteristic.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it willbe obvious that variations may be made, and I wish therefore to belimited not by the foregoing description, but on the contrary, solely bythe claims granted to me.

What is claimed is:

1. Panty hose comprising in combination a panty-type garment having legopening portions,

detachable hose adapted for positive connection to said panty garment,and a plurality of flat hook-type connectors secured within the lowerleg portions of said panty garment for releasably connecting said hoseto said panty garment,

each of said hose having a longitudinally elastic upper perforateportion sized to fit snugly within said lower leg portions of the pantygarment and adapted to releasably hook onto said connectors at a numberof openings in said upper portion, said openings being selected from aplurality of such openings which are longitudinally andcircumferentially distributed in said upper portion, whereby the wearermay selectively engage each of said connectors with the desiredlongitudinally and circumferentially located opening in said portion.

2. Panty hose as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upper portion comprisesa narrow band of longitudinally and circumferentially perforate elasticfabric adapted for engagement with said connecting means.

3. Panty hose as claimed in claim 2 wherein said fabric is an elasticopen mesh fabric.

4. Panty hose as claimed in claim 3 wherein said mesh is of diamondconfiguration.

5. Panty hose as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting meanscomprises flat hooking means positioned inside and above the ends ofsaid leg portions.

6. A detachable panty hose stocking consisting essentially of a foot, aleg and a narrow circumferentially and longitudinally elasticcircumferential portion at the upper end of the leg,

said circumferential elastic portion having a mesh with openingsdistributed for longitudinally and circumferentially selectivereleasable positive connection to a panty-type garment within the lowerleg portion thereof,

said portion also being adapted to withstand substantial longitudinalstresses when so connected to said panty garment.

7. Panty hose as claimed in claim 6 wherein said elastic portionconsists essentially of a narrow band of perforate elastic fabricadapted for hook connection to the inside of the panty-type garment.

8. Panty hose as claimed in claim 7 wherein said fabric is an elasticopen mesh fabric.

9. Panty hose as claimed in claim 8 wherein said mesh is of diamondconfiguration.

10. Panty hose as claimed in claim 6 further comprising imperforateupper and lower marginal portions at the edges of said elastic portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,745,801 2/1930 Maclean 1285351,965,314 7/ 1934 Henderson 2-240 2,190,560 2/1940 Gaines 66-1722,053,761 9/ 1936 Bloch 66-l 72 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,197,211 6/1959 France.

1,147,453 6/ 1957 France.

1,431,883 2/ 1966 France.

1,190,399 3/ 1959 France.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

